Insulated semiconductor faceplate designs

ABSTRACT

An exemplary faceplate may include a conductive plate defining a plurality of apertures. The faceplate may additionally include a plurality of inserts, and each one of the plurality of inserts may be disposed within one of the plurality of apertures. Each insert may define at least one channel through the insert to provide a flow path through the faceplate.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/774,963, filed Mar. 8, 2013, entitled “Insulated SemiconductorFaceplate Designs,” the entire disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology relates to semiconductor processes and equipment.More specifically, the present technology relates to processing systemplasma components that are at least partially insulated.

BACKGROUND

Integrated circuits are made possible by processes which produceintricately patterned material layers on substrate surfaces. Producingpatterned material on a substrate requires controlled methods forremoval of exposed material. Chemical etching is used for a variety ofpurposes including transferring a pattern in photoresist into underlyinglayers, thinning layers, or thinning lateral dimensions of featuresalready present on the surface. Often it is sought to have an etchprocess that etches one material faster than another facilitating, forexample, a pattern transfer process. Such an etch process is said to beselective to the first material. As a result of the diversity ofmaterials, circuits, and processes, etch processes have been developedwith a selectivity towards a variety of materials.

Dry etches produced in local plasmas formed within the substrateprocessing region can penetrate more constrained trenches and exhibitless deformation of delicate remaining structures. However, localplasmas can damage the substrate through the production of electric arcsas they discharge. Plasmas additionally may sputter or otherwise degradechamber components often requiring replacement of internal parts.Protecting chamber components can be performed by seasoning the chamber,which may increase process queue times and may be a disadvantage toadequate throughput.

Thus, there is a need for improved system components that can be used inplasma environments effectively while providing suitable degradationprofiles. These and other needs are addressed by the present technology.

SUMMARY

Exemplary faceplates may include a conductive plate defining a pluralityof apertures. The faceplates may additionally include a plurality ofinserts, and each one of the plurality of inserts may be disposed withinone of the plurality of apertures. Each insert may define at least onechannel through the insert to provide a flow path through the faceplate.Each insert may also define more than one channel, and may for exampledefine six channels through the insert arranged in a hexagonal pattern.

The faceplates may further include a plurality of o-rings positionedwithin annular channels, and each annular channel may be defined atleast partially by each of the plurality of inserts. A portion of eacho-ring of the plurality of o-rings may be seated within an annulargroove defined along a region of a corresponding insert between a topand bottom of the insert. A second o-ring may also be seated within asecond annular groove defined along a region of a corresponding insertbetween the top and bottom of the insert and vertically disposed fromthe first o-ring. The o-rings may be disposed within the inserts and theinserts may be housed within the respectively defined apertures of theconductive plate and may extend radially within each aperture to withinat least 50 mils of the radius of each aperture. A portion of eachaperture may be defined with a decreasing diameter from an upper regionto a lower region to define a tapered region of the aperture. Inexemplary faceplates the conductive plate may include a layer ofmaterial, such as dielectric material, on all surfaces of the conductiveplate that may be exposed to plasma. Also, the layer of material may belocated on all surfaces of the conductive plate including on allsurfaces defining the plurality of apertures. The layer of material maybe formed from a dielectric material, and may further be a ceramicmaterial.

Exemplary faceplates of the technology may include a conductive platedefining a plurality of apertures. The faceplates may additionallyinclude a plurality of inserts, and each one of the plurality of insertsmay be disposed within one of the plurality of apertures. Each aperturemay be defined with an upper portion and a lower portion of theaperture. The upper portion may be characterized by a cylindrical shapehaving a first diameter, and the lower portion may be characterized by acylindrical shape having a second diameter less than the first diameter.A ledge may be defined by the conductive plate at the boundary betweenthe upper portion and lower portion. The upper portion may be less than10% of the length of the aperture in exemplary apertures. Each insertmay be seated on the defined ledge of each corresponding aperture, andeach insert may occupy at least a portion of both the upper portion andlower portion of each aperture. Each insert may also occupy only theupper portion or only the lower portion of each corresponding aperturein embodiments. Additionally, a plurality of o-rings may be positionedto form a seal between the inserts and the upper and/or lower portion ofthe apertures.

The inserts may also be formed from a dielectric material, and mayfurther be a ceramic material. The ceramic may include one or more ofaluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, and yttrium oxide. The plurality ofinserts may be fixedly coupled to an insert plate in exemplaryfaceplates, and the insert may extend unidirectionally from a surface ofthe insert plate. The insert plate may be configured to be thermally fitto the conductive plate such that a surface of the insert plate covers asurface of the conductive plate, and the inserts may at least partiallyextend through the corresponding apertures.

Methods are also described forming exemplary faceplates. The methods mayinclude forming a plurality of apertures through a conductive plate. Themethods may include coating at least a portion of the conductive platewith a dielectric material, and the coating additionally may cover atleast a portion of surfaces of the plate defining the plurality ofapertures. The methods may further include disposing a plurality ofinserts within the apertures such that each aperture includes at leastone insert, and the inserts may each define at least one channel throughthe insert.

Such technology may provide numerous benefits over conventional systemsand techniques. For example, degradation of the faceplate may beprevented or limited. An additional advantage is that improveduniformity of distribution may be provided from the channels of theinserts. These and other embodiments, along with many of theiradvantages and features, are described in more detail in conjunctionwith the below description and attached figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the disclosedtechnology may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of thespecification and the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of one embodiment of an exemplaryprocessing system.

FIG. 2A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplaryprocessing chamber.

FIG. 2B shows a detailed view of a portion of the processing chamberillustrated in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3 shows a bottom plan view of an exemplary showerhead according tothe disclosed technology.

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of an exemplary faceplate according to thedisclosed technology.

FIG. 5 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of a faceplate accordingto the disclosed technology.

FIGS. 6A-6C show exemplary insert channel arrangements according to thedisclosed technology.

FIGS. 7A-7C show exemplary cross-sectional aperture structures accordingto the disclosed technology.

FIG. 8A shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary aperture and insertarrangement according to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 8B shows a top plan view of the arrangement of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary conductive plate and insert plate according tothe disclosed technology.

FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary conductive platecoupled with an insert plate according to the disclosed technology.

FIG. 11 shows a method of forming a faceplate according to the disclosedtechnology.

Several of the Figures are included as schematics. It is to beunderstood that the Figures are for illustrative purposes, and are notto be considered of scale unless specifically stated to be as such.

In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have thesame reference label. Further, various components of the same type maybe distinguished by following the reference label by a letter thatdistinguishes among the similar components. If only the first referencelabel is used in the specification, the description is applicable to anyone of the similar components having the same first reference labelirrespective of the letter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present technology includes systems and components for semiconductorprocessing. When plasmas are formed in situ in processing chambers, suchas with a capacitively coupled plasma (“CCP”) for example, exposedsurfaces may be sputtered or degraded by the plasma or the speciesproduced by the plasma. When dry etchant formulas that may includeseveral radical species produced by the plasma are formed, the radicalspecies produced may interact and affect the remote plasma chamber.

Conventional technologies have dealt with these unwanted side effectsthrough regular maintenance and replacement of components, however, thepresent systems may at least partially overcome this need by providingcomponents that may be less likely to degrade as well as components thatmay be easier to protect. By utilizing dielectric inserts within largerbore apertures, multiple benefits or advantages may be provided. Theapertures of the plate may be of sufficient diameter to allow protectivecoatings to be applied to the plate, and the inserts may have channelsspecifically configured to produce more uniform flow patterns forprecursors being delivered. Accordingly, the systems described hereinprovide improved performance and cost benefits over many conventionaldesigns. These and other benefits will be described in detail below.

Although the remaining disclosure will routinely identify specificetching processes utilizing the disclosed technology, it will be readilyunderstood that the systems and methods are equally applicable todeposition and cleaning processes as may occur in the describedchambers. Accordingly, the technology should not be considered to be solimited as for use with etching processes alone.

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of one embodiment of a processing system100 of deposition, etching, baking, and curing chambers according toembodiments. In the figure, a pair of front opening unified pods (FOUPs)102 supply substrates of a variety of sizes that are received by roboticarms 104 and placed into a low pressure holding area 106 before beingplaced into one of the substrate processing chambers 108 a-f, positionedin tandem sections 109 a-c. A second robotic arm 110 may be used totransport the substrate wafers from the holding area 106 to thesubstrate processing chambers 108 a-f and back. Each substrateprocessing chamber 108 a-f, can be outfitted to perform a number ofsubstrate processing operations including the dry etch processesdescribed herein in addition to cyclical layer deposition (CLD), atomiclayer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapordeposition (PVD), etch, pre-clean, degas, orientation, and othersubstrate processes.

The substrate processing chambers 108 a-f may include one or more systemcomponents for depositing, annealing, curing and/or etching a dielectricfilm on the substrate wafer. In one configuration, two pairs of theprocessing chamber, e.g., 108 c-d and 108 e-f, may be used to depositdielectric material on the substrate, and the third pair of processingchambers, e.g., 108 a-b, may be used to etch the deposited dielectric.In another configuration, all three pairs of chambers, e.g., 108 a-f,may be configured to etch a dielectric film on the substrate. Any one ormore of the processes described may be carried out in chamber(s)separated from the fabrication system shown in different embodiments. Itwill be appreciated that additional configurations of deposition,etching, annealing, and curing chambers for dielectric films arecontemplated by system 100.

FIG. 2A shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary process chambersystem 200 with partitioned plasma generation regions within theprocessing chamber. During film etching, e.g., titanium nitride,tantalum nitride, tungsten, silicon, polysilicon, silicon oxide, siliconnitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon oxycarbide, etc., a process gas maybe flowed into the first plasma region 215 through a gas inlet assembly205. A remote plasma system (RPS) 201 may optionally be included in thesystem, and may process a first gas which then travels through gas inletassembly 205. The inlet assembly 205 may include two or more distinctgas supply channels where the second channel (not shown) may bypass theRPS 201, if included.

A cooling plate 203, faceplate 217, ion suppressor 223, showerhead 225,and a substrate support 265, having a substrate 255 disposed thereon,are shown and may each be included according to embodiments. Thepedestal 265 may have a heat exchange channel through which a heatexchange fluid flows to control the temperature of the substrate. Thewafer support platter of the pedestal 265, which may comprise aluminum,ceramic, or a combination thereof, may also be resistively heated inorder to achieve relatively high temperatures, such as from up to orabout 100° C. to above or about 1100° C., using an embedded resistiveheater element.

The faceplate 217 may be pyramidal, conical, or of another similarstructure with a narrow top portion expanding to a wide bottom portion.The faceplate 217 may additionally be flat as shown and include aplurality of through-channels used to distribute process gases. Plasmagenerating gases and/or plasma excited species, depending on use of theRPS 201, may pass through a plurality of holes, shown in FIG. 2B, infaceplate 217 for a more uniform delivery into the first plasma region215.

Exemplary configurations may include having the gas inlet assembly 205open into a gas supply region 258 partitioned from the first plasmaregion 215 by faceplate 217 so that the gases/species flow through theholes in the faceplate 217 into the first plasma region 215. Structuraland operational features may be selected to prevent significant backflowof plasma from the first plasma region 215 back into the supply region258, gas inlet assembly 205, and fluid supply system 210. The faceplate217, or a conductive top portion of the chamber, and showerhead 225 areshown with an insulating ring 220 located between the features, whichallows an AC potential to be applied to the faceplate 217 relative toshowerhead 225 and/or ion suppressor 223. The insulating ring 220 may bepositioned between the faceplate 217 and the showerhead 225 and/or ionsuppressor 223 enabling a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) to be formedin the first plasma region. A baffle (not shown) may additionally belocated in the first plasma region 215, or otherwise coupled with gasinlet assembly 205, to affect the flow of fluid into the region throughgas inlet assembly 205.

The ion suppressor 223 may comprise a plate or other geometry thatdefines a plurality of apertures throughout the structure that areconfigured to suppress the migration of ionically-charged species out ofthe plasma excitation region 215 while allowing uncharged neutral orradical species to pass through the ion suppressor 223 into an activatedgas delivery region between the suppressor and the showerhead. Inembodiments, the ion suppressor 223 may comprise a perforated plate witha variety of aperture configurations. These uncharged species mayinclude highly reactive species that are transported with less reactivecarrier gas through the apertures. As noted above, the migration ofionic species through the holes may be reduced, and in some instancescompletely suppressed. Controlling the amount of ionic species passingthrough the ion suppressor 223 may advantageously provide increasedcontrol over the gas mixture brought into contact with the underlyingwafer substrate, which in turn may increase control of the depositionand/or etch characteristics of the gas mixture. For example, adjustmentsin the ion concentration of the gas mixture can significantly alter itsetch selectivity, e.g., TiNx:SiOx etch ratios, TiN:W etch ratios, etc.In alternative embodiments in which deposition is performed, it can alsoshift the balance of conformal-to-flowable style depositions fordielectric materials.

The plurality of apertures in the ion suppressor 223 may be configuredto control the passage of the activated gas, i.e., the ionic, radical,and/or neutral species, through the ion suppressor 223. For example, theaspect ratio of the holes, or the hole diameter to length, and/or thegeometry of the holes may be controlled so that the flow ofionically-charged species in the activated gas passing through the ionsuppressor 223 is reduced. The holes in the ion suppressor 223 mayinclude a tapered portion that faces the plasma excitation region 215,and a cylindrical portion that faces the showerhead 225. The cylindricalportion may be shaped and dimensioned to control the flow of ionicspecies passing to the showerhead 225. An adjustable electrical bias mayalso be applied to the ion suppressor 223 as an additional means tocontrol the flow of ionic species through the suppressor.

The ion suppressor 223 may function to reduce or eliminate the amount ofionically charged species traveling from the plasma generation region tothe substrate. Uncharged neutral and radical species may still passthrough the openings in the ion suppressor to react with the substrate.It should be noted that the complete elimination of ionically chargedspecies in the reaction region surrounding the substrate may not beperformed in embodiments. In certain instances, ionic species arerequired to reach the substrate in order to perform the etch and/ordeposition process. In these instances, the ion suppressor may help tocontrol the concentration of ionic species in the reaction region at alevel that assists the process.

Showerhead 225 in combination with ion suppressor 223 may allow a plasmapresent in chamber plasma region 215 to avoid directly exciting gases insubstrate processing region 233, while still allowing excited species totravel from chamber plasma region 215 into substrate processing region233. In this way, the chamber may be configured to prevent the plasmafrom contacting a substrate 255 being etched. This may advantageouslyprotect a variety of intricate structures and films patterned on thesubstrate, which may be damaged, dislocated, or otherwise warped ifdirectly contacted by a generated plasma. Additionally, when plasma isallowed to contact the substrate or approach the substrate level, therate at which oxide species etch may increase. Accordingly, if anexposed region of material is oxide, this material may be furtherprotected by maintaining the plasma remotely from the substrate.

The processing system may further include a power supply 240electrically coupled with the processing chamber to provide electricpower to the faceplate 217, ion suppressor 223, showerhead 225, and/orpedestal 265 to generate a plasma in the first plasma region 215 orprocessing region 233. The power supply may be configured to deliver anadjustable amount of power to the chamber depending on the processperformed. Such a configuration may allow for a tunable plasma to beused in the processes being performed. Unlike a remote plasma unit,which is often presented with on or off functionality, a tunable plasmamay be configured to deliver a specific amount of power to the plasmaregion 215. This in turn may allow development of particular plasmacharacteristics such that precursors may be dissociated in specific waysto enhance the etching profiles produced by these precursors.

A plasma may be ignited either in chamber plasma region 215 aboveshowerhead 225 or substrate processing region 233 below showerhead 225.Plasma may be present in chamber plasma region 215 to produce theradical precursors from an inflow of, for example, a fluorine-containingprecursor or other precursor. An AC voltage typically in the radiofrequency (RF) range may be applied between the conductive top portionof the processing chamber, such as faceplate 217, and showerhead 225and/or ion suppressor 223 to ignite a plasma in chamber plasma region215 during deposition. An RF power supply may generate a high RFfrequency of 13.56 MHz but may also generate other frequencies alone orin combination with the 13.56 MHz frequency.

FIG. 2B shows a detailed view 253 of the features affecting theprocessing gas distribution through faceplate 217. As shown in FIGS. 2Aand 2B, faceplate 217, cooling plate 203, and gas inlet assembly 205intersect to define a gas supply region 258 into which process gases maybe delivered from gas inlet 205. The gases may fill the gas supplyregion 258 and flow to first plasma region 215 through apertures 259 infaceplate 217. The apertures 259 may be configured to direct flow in asubstantially unidirectional manner such that process gases may flowinto processing region 233, but may be partially or fully prevented frombackflow into the gas supply region 258 after traversing the faceplate217.

The gas distribution assemblies such as showerhead 225 for use in theprocessing chamber section 200 may be referred to as dual channelshowerheads (DCSH) and are additionally detailed in the embodimentsdescribed in FIG. 3 as well as FIG. 4 herein. The dual channelshowerhead may provide for etching processes that allow for separationof etchants outside of the processing region 233 to provide limitedinteraction with chamber components and each other prior to beingdelivered into the processing region.

The showerhead 225 may comprise an upper plate 214 and a lower plate216. The plates may be coupled with one another to define a volume 218between the plates. The coupling of the plates may be so as to providefirst fluid channels 219 through the upper and lower plates, and secondfluid channels 221 through the lower plate 216. The formed channels maybe configured to provide fluid access from the volume 218 through thelower plate 216 via second fluid channels 221 alone, and the first fluidchannels 219 may be fluidly isolated from the volume 218 between theplates and the second fluid channels 221. The volume 218 may be fluidlyaccessible through a side of the gas distribution assembly 225.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a showerhead 325 for use with a processingchamber according to embodiments. Showerhead 325 corresponds with theshowerhead shown in FIG. 2A. Through-holes 365, which show a view offirst fluid channels 219, may have a plurality of shapes andconfigurations in order to control and affect the flow of precursorsthrough the showerhead 225. Small holes 375, which show a view of secondfluid channels 221, may be distributed substantially evenly over thesurface of the showerhead, even amongst the through-holes 365, and mayhelp to provide more even mixing of the precursors as they exit theshowerhead than other configurations.

An arrangement for a faceplate according to embodiments is shown in FIG.4. As shown, the faceplate 400 may comprise a perforated plate ormanifold. The assembly of the faceplate may be similar to the showerheadas shown in FIG. 3, or may include a design configured specifically fordistribution patterns of precursor gases. Faceplate 400 may include anannular frame 410 positioned in various arrangements within an exemplaryprocessing chamber, such as the chamber as shown in FIG. 2. On or withinthe frame may be coupled a plate 420, which may be similar inembodiments to ion suppressor plate 223 as previously described. Inembodiments faceplate 400 may be a single-piece design where the frame410 and plate 420 are a single piece of material.

The plate may have a disc shape and be seated on or within the frame410. The plate may be a conductive material such as a metal includingaluminum, as well as other conductive materials that allow the plate toserve as an electrode for use in a plasma arrangement as previouslydescribed. The plate may be of a variety of thicknesses, and may includea plurality of apertures 465 defined within the plate. An exemplaryarrangement as shown in FIG. 4 may include a pattern as previouslydescribed with reference to the arrangement in FIG. 3, and may include aseries of rings of apertures in a geometric pattern, such as a hexagonas shown. As would be understood, the pattern illustrated is exemplaryand it is to be understood that a variety of patterns, holearrangements, and hole spacing are encompassed in the design.

The apertures 465 may be sized or otherwise configured to allow insertsto be positioned or disposed within each one of the apertures such thateach aperture includes a corresponding insert. An exemplary insert isillustrated in aperture 465 n, and described further below inconjunction with FIG. 5. The apertures may be sized less than about 2inches in various embodiments, and may be less than or about 1.5 inches,about 1 inch, about 0.9 inches, about 0.8 inches, about 0.75 inches,about 0.7 inches, about 0.65 inches, about 0.6 inches, about 0.55inches, about 0.5 inches, about 0.45 inches, about 0.4 inches, about0.35 inches, about 0.3 inches, about 0.25 inches, about 0.2 inches,about 0.15 inches, about 0.1 inches, about 0.05 inches, etc. or less.When the apertures have any of the profiles as will be described below,any of the sections or regions of the apertures may be of any of thesizes discussed herein.

Turning to FIG. 5 is shown a simplified cross-sectional view of aportion of a faceplate 500 according to the disclosed technology. Asshown, the faceplate may include a plate 520 such as a conductive platedefining a plurality of apertures 565. The faceplate 500 may alsoinclude a plurality of inserts 515, where each one of the plurality ofinserts 515 is disposed within one of the plurality of apertures 565.Each of the apertures 565 may have similar characteristics as the otherapertures, or the apertures 565 may include a variety of patterns andshapes. The corresponding inserts 515 may have similar shapes as theapertures 565, or may be configured to be positioned within the variousshapes that may characterize the corresponding apertures 565.

Each insert 515 may further define at least one channel 517 through theinsert, and in embodiments may define a plurality of channels 517 withineach insert 515, that may include at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,12, 15, etc. or more channels defined by the insert. The channels may bea variety of sizes based on the number of channels, desired flowcharacteristics, etc., and in embodiments may be less than or about 1inch. The channels may also be less than or about 0.8, about 0.75inches, about 0.6 inches, about 0.5 inches, about 0.4 inches, about 0.3inches, about 0.2 inches, about 0.1 inches, about 0.09 inches, about0.08 inches, about 0.07 inches, about 0.06 inches, about 0.05 inches,about 0.04 inches, about 0.03 inches, about 0.02 inches, about 0.01inches, about 0.005 inches, etc. or less. The channels may be definedalong a parallel axis as the apertures, or may be angled towards or awayfrom a central axis of the aperture in embodiments.

The inserts may be made of a variety of materials that includedielectrics, insulative materials, oxides, and ceramics or otherinorganic or organic nonmetallic solids. The inserts may be made ofmaterial providing a resistance to physical bombardment as well aschemical inertness, among other properties. The ceramics may bewhiteware or technical ceramics and may include one or more oxidesincluding aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, cerium oxide, zirconiumoxide, yttrium oxide, etc. The ceramics may include nonoxides includingcarbide, boride, nitride, silicide, etc., as well as composite materialssuch as particulates or fibers to reinforce the material. The ceramicsmay also include one or more combinations of oxides and nonoxides, andin embodiments may include a combination of aluminum oxide and yttriumoxide. The ceramic may also include a combination of aluminum oxide,yttrium oxide, and zirconium oxide in a variety of proportions toprovide specific properties. Each or any of the oxides may be at leastabout 0.1% of the composite, and may also be at least about 3%, 5%, 10%,15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%,85%, 90%, 95%, etc. or more of the total amount of material in thecomposite up to 100% in which case the ceramic is essentially thatmaterial. The amount of each material may also be considered within arange of any of the disclosed percentages or numbers enclosed by any ofthe percentages listed.

The inserts may be disposed in the apertures in a variety of waysincluding press fitting, thermal shrinking, or with other clamping andfitting mechanisms as would be understood. For example, one or moredevices 523 such as o-rings may be positioned along the inserts toprovide a sealing between the plate 520 and the inserts 515. The o-rings523 or other devices may be positioned within annular channels definedat least partially by the plurality of inserts 515, and a portion ofeach o-ring 523 may be seated within an annular groove defined along aregion of a corresponding insert between the top and bottom of theinsert. The annular groove may also be at least partially defined by theplate 520 as illustrated. In embodiments more than one device such asmultiple o-rings may be used in conjunction to provide stability andsealing of the insert. For example, a second o-ring may be seated withina second annular groove defined along a region of a corresponding insertbetween the top and bottom of the insert and vertically spaced from thefirst o-ring. The o-rings 523 may be disposed within the inserts suchthat the inserts are housed within the respectively defined apertures ofthe conductive plate and extend radially within each aperture to withinat least about 0.5 inches of the radius of each aperture. In embodimentsthe inserts may extend radially within each aperture to within at leastabout 0.25 inches, about 0.1 inches, about 0.075 inches, about 0.05inches, about 0.025 inches, about 0.015 inches, about 0.01 inches, about0.005 inches, about 0.001 inches, etc. or less.

FIGS. 6A-6C show top plan views of exemplary insert and channelarrangements according to the disclosed technology. For example, FIG. 6Aillustrates an insert 615 a having four equal channels 617 a definedtherein. The channels 617 may be spaced in a variety of patterns and thechannels may be characterized by equal dimensions or differentdimensions in embodiments. FIG. 6B shows an additional arrangement whereinsert 615 b defines six channels 617 through the insert arranged in ahexagonal pattern. As shown, channels 617 f are characterized by asmaller diameter than are channels 617 b. Any number of variations aswould be understood are similarly encompassed by the technology. FIG. 6Cshows another embodiment in which insert 615 c includes a single channel617 c characterized by a larger diameter than other channels shown. Theinserts 615 shown, or variations thereof, may be used in any combinationacross the plate to provide a more uniform distribution or flow ofprecursors through the inserts.

The flow capacity of each channel may also determine the number ofapertures used. For example, if larger diameter channels are used, or agreater number of channels, less apertures with inserts may be requiredto deliver a certain flow of precursors or plasma effluents.Additionally, the number of channels and size of the channels willsimilarly affect the diameter of the inserts used. This may affect costand manufacturing time associated with the faceplates and inserts. Forexample, larger inserts and/or larger channels may be less expensive tomanufacture than smaller inserts or features. Certain inserts definingno channels may be used in select locations to further modify the flowpatterns through the plate. For example, one of the rings of aperturesas previously described may have each aperture or any number ofapertures of the ring house or hold an insert having no channels definedtherein in order to direct flow away from the particular apertures.

The apertures and inserts may also take on a variety of profiles thatinclude cylindrical bodies as shown in FIG. 5, or in different shapes asshown in FIG. 7A-7C in which three exemplary cross-sectional views ofapertures are shown. FIG. 7A shows a profile of an aperture 765 a havingan opening at a first diameter that tapers down to a cylindrical portionhaving a second smaller diameter. At least a portion of the aperture isthus defined with a decreasing diameter from an upper region to a lowerregion to define the tapered region. FIG. 7C illustrates an additionalaperture 765 c having a cylindrical upper portion over a smallercylindrical lower portion such as a counterbore-type aperture. Theaperture may alternatively have a countersink-type profile having aconical upper portion over a cylindrical lower portion. FIG. 7B shows anaperture with an upper cylindrical portion and lower cylindrical portionin which the upper portion has a depth that is less than about 10% ofthe overall length or depth of the aperture.

In embodiments the upper portion may have a depth that is greater thanor about 90% of the overall depth of the aperture, less than about 90%,less than or about 85%, 80%, 75%, 70%, 65%, 60%, 55% 50%, 45%, 40%, 35%,30%, 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, 2%, or less and may have a profile similarto a spotface in which the upper portion accounts for only a smallfraction of the overall length of the aperture. The aperture shape mayprovide additional support for the insert disposed therein, which may beseated on the defined ledge of the corresponding aperture, and occupy atleast a portion of both the upper portion and lower portion of eachaperture, such as shown in FIG. 7B. As illustrated, insert 715 is seatedon the ledge formed between the upper and lower portions of aperture 765b and occupies a portion of both the upper portion and the lowerportion. The insert 715 also defines channels 717 which provide accessthrough the insert. Optional devices such as o-rings 723 mayadditionally be used to stabilize and position the insert within theaperture.

FIG. 8A shows a cross-sectional view of an exemplary aperture and insertarrangement 800 according to the disclosed technology. Aperture 865 maybe characterized by an upper portion 867 and a lower portion 869. Theupper portion 867 may be characterized by a cylindrical shape having afirst diameter, and the lower portion 869 may be characterized by acylindrical shape having a second diameter less than the first diameter.This arrangement may define a ledge within each aperture at the boundarybetween the upper and lower portions. Insert 815 may be disposed withinthe aperture 865, and may be seated on the ledge such that each insert815 occupies only the upper portion of each corresponding aperture 865.The insert may be press fit or thermally fit within the aperture, andmay alternatively have one or more devices such as o-rings 823 seatedwithin one or more annular grooves defined within the insert 815. Inembodiments the annular grooves may be defined at least partially by theinserts, at least partially by the plate defining the apertures, and/orboth. The o-rings 823 may be positioned to form a seal between theinsert 815 and the plate defining the upper portion 867 of the aperture865.

When using the plate as an electrode, such as with plasma operations asdescribed previously in which the plate may comprise a lower electrodeor ground electrode, areas having dielectric inserts, or gaps in theconductive material, may allow plasma leakage to occur in the processingregion below the faceplate, as these regions may be relativelytransparent to the RF. Although this may be desirable for certainoperations, in embodiments, the operations may seek to minimize plasmain the processing region and thus large bore holes may provide access bywhich plasma ignition may occur below the faceplate. However,manufacturing costs may dictate that larger inserts are more economicalunder certain conditions. Accordingly, by forming apertures having anupper portion and a smaller lower portion, a larger and potentially morecost effective insert may be utilized, while plasma leakage through theplate may be minimized by having smaller gaps that actually penetratethe conductive plate, which may advantageously contain the plasmapartially, substantially, or essentially above the faceplate. Inembodiments the apertures may be configured to reduce or limit theleakage through the faceplate. As discussed previously, the faceplatemay be coupled with a showerhead to form a single electrode, forexample. In embodiments, the arrangement of holes in the showerhead andfaceplate may be configured to limit direct through-paths for ignitionin the processing region. For example, the first channels of theshowerhead may be offset from the apertures of the faceplate in order toprovide a consistent electrode region across the combined surfaces.

FIG. 8B shows a top plan view of the arrangement 800 of FIG. 8A. Asshown, insert 815 includes channel 817 formed therethrough, and isdisposed within aperture 865. O-ring 823 is visible forming a sealbetween the insert 815 and portion of the plate defining the aperture865. Although shown with a defined gap, it is to be understood that theinsert may be entirely or substantially flush with the portion of theplate defining the aperture.

The inserts may be made of a dielectric material as previouslydescribed, and in embodiments an additional material such as a layer ofmaterial may coat or cover all surfaces of the conductive plate that areexposed or facing plasma. For example, if only one side of the plate isplasma-facing, then in embodiments only that face of the plate may becoated with the layer of material. The coating may also cover the wallsof the plate defining the apertures. Additionally, the layer of materialmay be located on all surfaces of the conductive plate including on allsurfaces defining the plurality of apertures. In this way, the plate maybe protected from radical species, such as fluorine species, that mayinteract with the plate. In such embodiments, o-rings or other devicesmay be used to ease the inserts into the material, although pressfitting or thermal fitting may similarly be employed. If a ceramicmaterial is utilized as the coating, the coating may be temperaturelimited for subsequent operations or else the material might crack orotherwise produce defects. Accordingly, if thermal operations aresubsequently performed, such as to fit the inserts into the conductiveplate, the operations may be required to occur at temperatures below athreshold temperature affecting the coating. This temperature may beless than or about 500° C. in embodiments, and may also be less than orabout 450° C., about 400° C., about 350° C., about 300° C., about 250°C., about 200° C., about 150° C., about 100° C., about 50° C., etc. orless. The material may be a dielectric or insulative material, and maybe similar to or different from the material used for the inserts. Forexample, the material may include one or more of aluminum oxide, yttriumoxide, or zirconium oxide as previously discussed. For example, thematerial may be a ceramic coating that is plasma sprayed or otherwiseapplied to the surfaces of the plate. Such processes may be limited forcertain aperture diameters, and as such, the apertures may be sized toaccommodate and ensure complete coating of the surfaces with thedielectric material.

Turning to FIG. 9 is another exemplary structure including conductiveplate 920 defining apertures 965 therethrough. Inserts 915 may befixedly or otherwise coupled with an insert plate 930 for use as acoating or protection of the conductive plate 920. The inserts mayextend unidirectionally from a surface of the insert plate, or mayextend through the insert plate in embodiments. The insert plate 930 andinserts 915 may be formed as a single component and may be cast ormolded to the desired shape. The inserts may be located or positioned onthe insert plate so as to match with the configuration of the aperturesdefined within the conductive plate. The inserts 915 may alternativelybe formed separately and coupled with or otherwise attached to theinsert plate 930. FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view 1000 of theinsert plate when coupled with the conductive plate 1020. Asillustrated, insert plate 1030 may coat or otherwise cover conductiveplate 1020. Conductive plate apertures 1065 may include the disposedinserts 1015, and channels 1017 formed through inserts 1015 may beaccessible through the insert plate 1030. The insert plate may bethermally fixed to the conductive plate as previously discussed or otherdevices or operations may be similarly used or performed. In this way,the insert plate may be configured to be thermally fit to the conductiveplate such that a surface of the insert plate covers a surface of theconductive plate, and the inserts at least partially extend into orthrough the corresponding apertures defined in the conductive plate. Anadditional plate of dielectric material may be coupled with the bottomand or sides of the conductive plate in embodiments and may be coupled,fixed, or combined with the insert plate 1030.

FIG. 11 shows a method of forming a faceplate according to the disclosedtechnology. The method may include forming a plurality of aperturesthrough a conductive plate at operation 1110. The apertures may bedrilled, cut, or otherwise formed in a variety of patterns. Once formedthe resulting perforated plate may be coated with a material on at leasta portion of the conductive plate at operation 1120. The coating may bean insulative coating, or a dielectric coating such as a plasma sprayedceramic coating that forms a complete barrier to the underlyingconductive surface. A plurality of inserts may be disposed within theapertures at operation 1130. The inserts may have channels defined orformed through the material in order to provide access through theconductive plate. The plate and inserts may include any of the featuresor characteristics as previously described. The plate may be coupledwith a grounding source or an electrical source to operate as anelectrode at least partially defining a space in which a plasma isformed. For example, the faceplate may be coupled within the system asdescribed above with respect to FIG. 2, for example with regard to theion suppressor. The faceplate may be electrically coupled with ashowerhead to act together as the electrode. The faceplate andshowerhead may be aligned to provide a continuous or substantiallycontinuous electrode surface. This may be accomplished by offsetting theapertures of the components so that a portion of the apertures or amajority of the apertures do not align providing space through whichplasma leakage may occur.

In the preceding description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousdetails have been set forth in order to provide an understanding ofvarious embodiments of the present technology. It will be apparent toone skilled in the art, however, that certain embodiments may bepracticed without some of these details, or with additional details.

Having disclosed several embodiments, it will be recognized by those ofskill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of theembodiments. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elementshave not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thepresent technology. Accordingly, the above description should not betaken as limiting the scope of the technology.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the smallest fraction of the unit of the lowerlimit, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upperand lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Anynarrower range between any stated values or unstated intervening valuesin a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in thatstated range is encompassed. The upper and lower limits of those smallerranges may independently be included or excluded in the range, and eachrange where either, neither, or both limits are included in the smallerranges is also encompassed within the technology, subject to anyspecifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated rangeincludes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both ofthose included limits are also included.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”,and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “an aperture” includes aplurality of such apertures, and reference to “the plate” includesreference to one or more plates and equivalents thereof known to thoseskilled in the art, and so forth.

Also, the words “comprise(s)”, “comprising”, “contain(s)”, “containing”,“include(s)”, and “including”, when used in this specification and inthe following claims, are intended to specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, components, or operations, but they do not precludethe presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,components, operations, acts, or groups.

1. A faceplate comprising: a conductive plate defining a plurality ofapertures; and a plurality of inserts, wherein each one of the pluralityof inserts is disposed within one of the plurality of apertures.
 2. Thefaceplate of claim 1, wherein each insert defines at least one channelthrough the insert.
 3. The faceplate of claim 2, wherein each insertdefines six channels through the insert arranged in a hexagonal pattern.4. The faceplate of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of o-ringspositioned within annular channels, wherein a separate annular channeldefined at least partially by each of the plurality of inserts.
 5. Thefaceplate of claim 4, wherein a portion of each o-ring of the pluralityof o-rings is seated within an annular groove defined along a region ofa corresponding insert between a top and bottom of the insert.
 6. Thefaceplate of claim 5, wherein a second o-ring is seated within a secondannular groove defined along a region of a corresponding insert betweenthe top and bottom of the insert.
 7. The faceplate of claim 4, whereinthe o-rings are disposed within the plurality of inserts, wherein theinserts are housed within the respectively defined apertures of theconductive plate and extend radially within each aperture to within atleast 50 mils of the radius of each aperture.
 8. The faceplate of claim1, wherein at least a portion of each aperture is defined with adecreasing diameter from an upper region to a lower region to define atapered region.
 9. The faceplate of claim 1, further comprising a layerof dielectric material on all surfaces of the conductive plateconfigured to be exposed to a plasma.
 10. The faceplate of claim 9,wherein the layer of dielectric material is located on all surfaces ofthe conductive plate including on all surfaces defining the plurality ofapertures.
 11. A faceplate comprising: a conductive plate defining aplurality of apertures; and a plurality of inserts, wherein each one ofthe plurality of inserts is disposed within one of the plurality ofapertures, wherein each aperture is defined with an upper portion and alower portion, wherein the upper portion is characterized by acylindrical shape having a first diameter, and the lower portion ischaracterized by a cylindrical shape having a second diameter less thanthe first diameter, and wherein a ledge is defined by the plate at theboundary between the upper portion and lower portion.
 12. The faceplateof claim 11, wherein each insert is seated on the defined ledge of eachcorresponding aperture, and wherein each insert occupies at least aportion of both the upper portion and lower portion of each aperture.13. The faceplate of claim 12, wherein each insert occupies only theupper portion of each corresponding aperture.
 14. The faceplate of claim12, wherein a plurality of o-rings are positioned to form a seal betweenthe inserts and the portion of the plate defining the upper portion ofthe apertures.
 15. The faceplate of claim 11, wherein the upper portionis less than 10% of the length of the aperture.
 16. The faceplate ofclaim 11, wherein each insert comprises a dielectric material.
 17. Thefaceplate of claim 16, wherein the dielectric comprises a ceramicincluding one or more of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), zirconium oxide (ZrO₂),and yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃).
 18. The faceplate of claim 11, wherein theplurality of inserts are fixedly coupled with an insert plate, andwherein the inserts extend unidirectionally from a surface of the insertplate.
 19. The faceplate of claim 18, wherein the insert plate isconfigured to be thermally fit to the conductive plate such that asurface of the insert plate covers a surface of the conductive plate,and the inserts at least partially extend through the correspondingapertures.
 20. A method of forming a faceplate, the method comprising:forming a plurality of apertures through a conductive plate; coating atleast a portion of the conductive plate with a dielectric material,wherein the coating additionally covers at least a portion of surfacesof the plate defining the plurality of apertures; and disposing aplurality of inserts within the apertures such that each apertureincludes at least one insert, wherein the inserts each define at leastone channel through the insert.